Foreword. To give you a brief overview as to why I wrote this article.

The story goes, me and my work-colleague started a weight-loss competition. We placed a small wager; the person who loses the most amount of weight in six months time wins £10.
Sounds simple enough, I would like to stress that we are not the worlds healthiest men and that our commitment here is almost next to nothing. We enjoy delicious food and aren’t shy of getting our monies worth at a buffet.

My colleague had increased his physical activities (after a couple of weeks of starting the bet) and began participating in weekly games of badminton with his friends.
On his first day at badminton in their car-park, he got out the car and fell on the floor and scraped his knees, so one could say we have put our blood, sweat and tears into this competition.

Back to the article. Below are my own ‘tried and tested’ tips to lose weight without doing any exercise. They worked well for me and if you’re wavering on reducing your weight, give these tips a go first. You have nothing to lose… apart from your weight!

Oh and if you’re wondering who won, my colleague lost two pounds and I lost, eight pounds. Hence, why I am spreading the word:

Switch to zero-sugar drinks!

Many top fizzy drink companies now release their popular beverages with zero-sugar. The zero-sugar drinks are sweetened with two key ingredients Aspartame and Acesulfame K.

Fun fact, our friend Aspartame is low calorie and up to 200 times sweeter than sugar. Acesulfame is added to reduce the bitter aftertaste of Aspartame.

Join a weekly weighings group or simply weigh yourself!

It’s stupid but you’ll be surprised to know how affective this method is. Weighing groups are becoming increasingly popular. My work-place has one and they keep the record for you (saving you the hard work of doing it yourself!). These “clubs” basically weigh you and let you how you did compared to the previous visit. This way, you can keep a mental record of how well you’re doing each week.

Please remember, these groups not there to “judge” anyone, it’s there to help you keep a record of your weight and that’s it.

Reduce your take-out visits!

Avoid going cold-turkey, you’re only human. I am not saying stop visiting your most cherished take-out joints. They are wonderful places filled with great joy and happiness. All I am saying is, reduce your weekly visits and/ or opt in for healthier options. If you’re having deep-fried chicken, don’t smother it with dips, mayonnaise and other sugared sauces.

Within the United Kingdom (home of Game Of Thrones and families of Snow descendants), we have this awesome restaurant chain called Nando’s. They make the best flame-grilled Peri-Peri chicken of ole-time. I used to go there on an almost daily-basis and smothered their rather healthy flame-grilled chicken in delicious bottled sauces they make. Turns out, those bottles were incredibly high in fat. So whilst I was eating it, thinking “this is healthy eating”, I was actually gaining weight. I went from a size 16″ shirt to a 17″ within a couple of months. Not great but the weekly weighing helped me identify the problem. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known. Shame on Nando’s.

Protein

Just a follow-up on the point about reducing your take-outs or at least opting in for food which is high in protein. Generally meat & fish dishes have high-levels of protien which is good for you. Chicken is a popular source of protein; a must have for repairing muscles and for building them too. It’s absolutely loved by professional body builders as it’s cheap and incredibly versatile. Think about it, you can eat chicken on-the-go. You can have it in salads, sandishes, subs, burgers etc.

It’s also great because protein helps you feel fuller for longer! Now… I am not saying head over to KFC and go nuts! All I am saying is be careful, with this tip. If you’re adding a tone of sauces in these high protein dishes, this tip will backfire (think Trump with his haircut).
Learn from my Nando’s restaurant experience and take it at face value. They make a mean Peri-Peri chicken but if you smother it with their fatty sauces, it won’t aid your venture in losing weight. If possible, avoid the darn sauces and dips altogether unless you know it’s healthy (by reading the calorie count and the list of ingredients). Remember, when in doubt, avoid.

Do you have any tips which may help others lose weight without making too many changes to their daily routine? What’s worked for you? Leave us a comment or feedback, we read each one. And who knows, your tip may be added to this article and we’ll be more than happy to credit your name.